Click the
graphic for an interactive
map of Canvey Island. The red circle at the graphic shows the former
location of Grand Records, 107a High Street. Since 2004 the office moved
to the Oysterfleet Hotel at Knightswick Road.
The map will open in a new browser window for routing navigation while
the Oysterfleet Hotel web site remains available in the background.

Canvey Island
is located at the southern end of the county of Essex, England. Being an
Island, one would expect it to be in a river, and indeed this is the case.
It is situated in the River Thames, between Southend and Basildon. Canvey
is around 35 miles east of London, and is around 5 miles in length, by
about 3 miles wide.
There are around 50,000 people living on Canvey, with around 15,000 homes.
The population is always growing due the constant building of homes on
what is not a very large piece of land! There are two roads that lead off
Canvey via two bridges, one goes towards Benfleet, the other towards Basildon.
These two routes however go via one roundabout!
Canvey has been around for many years, with recorded information back beyond
1066 and all that. Until relatively recent years it was very rural, with
the only access being by boat. Today's Canvey is very different. It is
being shaped daily by the residents, a new retail park is just being built
and developed.

Also read
Christopher Somerville's The Walk
(or Just How the Doctor ordered) for a really good descibtion of Canvey
Island, including the 'Feelgood Factor'. (Published in Feelin' Good newsletter
September 2000).

CANVEY IMPRESSIONS:

Canvey
Island sunrise

View from Canvey to the Oil refineries - May 10, 2001

A clear statement, seen somewhere at Canvey seawall
- May 10, 2001

Canvey Island: View to Kent - May 10, 2001

Canvey Island Terminal - May 10, 2001

Gabi
at Canvey Island seawall - May 10, 1996
Leigh, Westcliff and Southend in the background

View to Leigh and Southend-on-Sea - May 10, 2001

Canvey Island Yacht Club - May 10, 2001

Many more
Canvey photos and historical treasures are collected in the 'History'
section of the Oysterfleet Hotel
website.

HEATHROW AIRPORT to
CANVEY ISLAND(Only from memory, it's some years ago I last went to
Caney by plane...

1.) At Heathrow
Airport go to the Railway Information Desk (at same floor where you fetch
your luggage and bags). Tell them you need all subway and train tickets
to go to BENFLEET STATION. First you will have to take the subway
to FENCHURCH STREET in London city to then change subway line (can't
remember to which station, sorry - but the desk keeper will know).

2.) When you
reached BENFLEET STATION, which is the closest one to Canvey, you
have to take a cab (taxi) to Canvey Island. There are cabs right in front
ouside of the station and it will take not much time bring you to Canvey,
it's just "around the corner" approx 10-15 minutes.

Like planned
there was a Dr Feelgood Sightseeing Tour at Friday 12th of June 1998, the
morning after the 5th Lee Brilleaux Memorial
show. About 20 fans from various countries including Finland, Germany and
Australia (hi Shane!) took off in a big bus for a cruise around Canvey
Island. John Butterfield, editor of the Dr Feelgood newsletter 'Feelin'
Good' routed us to several places of the Dr Feelgood history and later
Chris Fenwick, Dr Feelgoods manager, joined us and had to tell few interesting
stories of the '(feel) good old days'!

Chris
Fenwick at the Dr Feelgood office in Canvey
- surrounded by various Feelgood memorabilia.(Many thanks to Shane Johns from Australia for this
photo!)

We didn't
visit all the places which I've listed below as "the Sightseeing Tour",
so I afterwards took some interested people for an encore to some more
Feelgood related places (marked in red). Unfortunately we had to stop the
extra-tour because most of the people suffered from lack of sleep after
the Memorial (I would say, it obviously were too many drinks, folks!),
also No.1 Feelgood fan from Finland, Teppo, had a date in London. Anyway,
Teppo and me made plans to do another Feelgood tour next time we meet in
Canvey.

June
12, 1998: Finland meets Australia to feel good on Canvey Island!
"Radiomafioso" Teppo and Shane in front of Oysterfleet
Hotel.
Note the blue plaque for Lee Brilleaux at left side of the house.(Many thanks to Shane Johns from Australia for this
photo!)

In Feelin'
Good Issue 15 / April 1999 our newsletter editor John Butterfield
gives a review.
For some more photos of the Feelgood sightseeing tour 1998 visit Shane
Johns Dr Feelgood pages.

Some places
I would suggest for a FEELGOOD SIGHTSEEING TOUR:

GRAND
RECORDS - The office of Dr Feelgood is located at Canvey's High Street.
(NOTE: Since 2005 Grand Records' office is at the Oysterfleet Hotel.)..Canvey,
High Street(May 2001 - Photo by Bernie Beginn, Cologne
/ Germany)

The
ADMIRAL JELLICOE - Was the Feelgood's favourite pub on Canvey in the
early days and was the location for the cover shots of the "Be Seeing
You" album. Unfortunately the pub unfortunately got a refreshed outfit
in the meantime and looks totally different inside.

The
CANVEY CLUB - The motiv of the cover shot of the "Sneakin' Suspicion"
album.

The
LABWORTH BUILDING - Location of few early Feelgood photos (Gypie era);
built on top of the seawall of Canvey's amusement zone...The
Labworth Building

The
MONICO pub - At the corner of Canvey's "Golden Mile"; once
was THE meeting place for musicians of the area. Before she married Lee,
Shirley Brilleaux worked here. Some few houses further on the same road
is the club (now called "Club Astairs") where Dr Feelgood hit
the stage the very first time...Club
Astairs at the "Golden Mile"

FEELGOOD HOUSE
- A legendary place of the early Feelgood days just around the corner of
the Haystack Pub. Well remembered for parties and various other pleasures
(like doing races on lawnmovers in the night!). Frequently visited in those
days by the local police. The backside cover shot of the "Let It Roll"
album was taken at the bar (which was built by Sparko) in the Feelgood
House...Feelgood
House at Long Road

The
LOBSTER SMACK pub - The cover shot of Down By The Jetty was taken outside
at the beach...The
Lobster Smack

The
JETTY - A must see on Canvey Island to be able to feel the Down By
The Jetty Blues...Down
by the Jetty(May 10th, 2001 - Both Photos by Ute Beginn,
Cologne / Germany)..

BENFLEET STATION
- This is where the loads of young guitarists from all over the UK left
the train to go to the auditions of Dr Feelgood after Gypie Mayo left the
band many years ago.

THE
CROOKED BILLET in Old Leigh - One of Lee's favourite pubs.

LEE's
MEMORIAL BENCH - Located at the seaside near Seaview Road in Leigh-on-Sea.
Unfortunately Lee's bench was victim of vandalism in early summer 1998.
The bench was replaced later.

ST.
CLEMENTS CHURCH in Leigh-on-Sea - Where Lee's funeral was held.

THE
GRAND (formerly the Grand Hotel) in Leigh-On-Sea - Here is where Lee
spent quite some time when he was at not touring. It gave the name to the
Feelgoods own record label.

THE
KURSAAL in Southend-On-Sea - The Feelgoods No.1 live album "Stupidity"
was recorded here in the early 70's..

..Many go to Las Palmas, others prefer Canvey Island:..
Gabi and her 19 years old Feelgood car (Audi 80) after
the official sightseeing tour 1998 - ready to take off for an
additional Feelgood trip with Teppo and some other fans.(Many thanks to Shane Johns from Australia for this
photo!)

Well, I know
there are few more places to add! Even today many of the Feelgood members,
friends and countless musicians live in this area and there a loads of
interesting things and places to visit. Since oI was on Canvey Island the
first time in January 1994 I regularly return and anytime fully enjoy stepping
through the history of Dr Feelgood and meet good friends. In fact, my greatest
wish is to live there forever and to set up a a Dr Feelgood Museum in the
old Feelgood House!

Check
out The (Feelgood) History of Canvey Island - an
out take from Susan Whites book "Five Generations" published
by The Bookshop, Canvey Island in 1994 (ISBN 0 9520002 02). [Out of print
now.]